Where does one begin to explain her addiction to Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing? I think I can start this post and answer that question in one word: Amy.

The Cast of The West Wing

My extraordinary initiation into this TV show began with Amy’s badgering. It was a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, and I was quite full from lots of turkey, cranberry compote, and yes, even Amy’s frog eye salad. I was in a helpless coma from the day, and Amy twisted my arm and threatened never to pay rent again if I didn’t watch WW with her. I was already a fan of Aaron Sorkin’s other shows SportsNight and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip–both very smartly written dramedies (drama/comedies, not to be confused with camels), so I decided that being forced to watch WW couldn’t be any worse than Amy not paying rent.

In a matter of three days we watched the first season and half of the second on the greatest invention known to man–TV on dvd. And my inauguration into this witty, behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House was completed. I was hooked.

Here we are nearly two months later, and I’m chugging my way through season 5. Turns out maybe Amy was on to something. Hmmm … Maybe she knew that I’d love the show and she wasn’t really threatening me. Hey! Amy, it’s uncool to trick your roommate.

Anyway, I love-love-love this show! It’s brilliantly written (especially the first 4 seasons, after which creator Aaron Sorkin moved on to other projects and stopped writing for it). And the casting is genius.

Sam Seaborn from the The West Wing

– Rob Lowe, as the brilliant deputy communications director Sam Seaborn, is stunning–both very handsome and a fantastic actor. (Amy says he’s pretty good in Brothers and Sisters, which I also haven’t seen. Maybe that’ll be the next show she gets me hooked on.)

The West Wing's Josh and Donna

– Bradley Whitford, as the subtle-yet-still-makes-me-laugh-out-loud deputy chief of staff, Josh Lyman, is superb. His humor is absolutely spot-on, and his teasing/sarcastic relationship with his assistant Donna Moss (played by Janel Moloney) is pitch-perfect and a delight to watch. His politcal and social faux paus make him probably one of my favorite characters.

– Dule Hill plays Charlie Young, personal assistant to the President, played by Martin Sheen. I love Dule in the current show Psych, but his relationship with the President is so funny and completely unexpected.

– Richard Schiff, as the brooding communications director Toby Ziegler, starts off a little too serious for me, but by the end of the 4th season, he becomes a dad and his personality shifts. He’s got a great line about his newborn kids, “I’ve only known them for 45 minutes, and I’d drop napalm on Yellowstone for them.”

I could go on about the amazing cast including Allison Janney, Stockard Channing, Joshua Molina, and John Spencer, but suffice it to say, this is a top-notch show. Every piece fits into place. I can’t wait to get to the 7th and final season … but Amy says we can’t finish 2 and a half seasons this weekend.

As Hannah (and now her 1-year-old) would say: Booooooo!

If you haven’t seen The West Wing, you’re missing out. It’s well-worth your time, and since it’s available on dvd, it’s super-convenient. Happy West Wing-ing until next time. -LJ

I often hold family and friends hostage to watch The West Wing. I have all seasons on DVD, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping my DVR full with my favorite episodes. My DVR crashed once and when I called the cable company, they were shocked to hear my biggest complaint was that I had lost my favorite at my fingertip episodes! I know I found this post a lil late, but I hope that you have since seen all episodes and continue to watch back through them with laughter.